How to snag that bargain flight

If you're looking to score a bargain-basement price on a flight, you can find some astounding deals these days: recently offered steals include a one-way airplane ticket from Toronto to Montreal for $11 and another from Ottawa to Toronto for $29.

It stems from the latest air wars. Canadian airlines have been doing whatever they must to keep up with the competition. Air Canada, for example, has quickly responded to its rivals like WestJet by matching its bargain basement offers.

But you have to be fast: often you can flock to your travel agent or the internet only to discover that the offer is gone. And there are other perils as well, that make it crucial to bid by that old adage of "Buyer beware."

"Everyone enjoys advertising very low prices, especially airlines," says Peter Martens, the eastern Canada marketing manager for the travel agency Flight Centre.

"You can find excellent deals, but flexibility is the key."

Not just about the price

One of the things that consumers need to realize is that flights with amazing prices are not usually available at peak travel times.

Martens says you're more likely to nab better prices if you're willing to travel mid-week, not just on weekends. As well, you might have to make a round-trip to get the discount.

You can also expect more savings if you're looking to travel within seven to 10 days of booking — the time frame within which airlines often cut their rates in order to fill up planes.

Another catch to those bargain-basement fares is that airlines often sell only about six seats or so at the cheapest price. Once those seats are gone, you have to pay more for the remaining spots.

It's similar to booking flights using Aeroplan points. There may be no seats available using the minimum amount of points, but if you're willing to spend more points, you may find a spot.

Extra fees can pile up

On top of the base fare, there are lots of other charges that can add up quickly.

A $29 fare for a short-haul domestic flight can easily double once you add on airport improvement fees for both cities, fuel surcharges and Navigation Canada's surcharge for traveling within Canada.

And for those flying internationally, the fees can get even uglier. The cost in fees alone for a return flight to London, England, from Toronto is in the range of $270 a ticket.

It doesn't help that Toronto's Pearson International Airport is the world's second-most expensive airport for landing fees, only surpassed by Tokyo.

Does crossing the border save you money?

Some Canadians swear it's worth making the trek south to an airport in a neighboring U.S. city such as Buffalo, N.Y., or Seattle.

Martens agreed that it is usually cheaper to fly out of the United States.

"We don't have as many airlines that operate here because we are much more heavily regulated."

So, although a solitary traveller might not find the savings worth the hassle of crossing the border, a family could end up saving hundreds of dollars by flying out of the United States.

Charters: be wary of connecting flights

For those travelling overseas, charter flights are often a deal compared to scheduled flights — but there are also some risks.

Charter flights often have convenient departure and arrival times. However, you can't bank on the airlines sticking to them.

Departure and arrival times for charter flights often change with only a few days of notice.

Martens advises to be wary of charters if you need to book a connecting flight.

Another option is to get travel insurance to make sure that you don't have to pay dearly to make that all-important connecting flight.

The bottom line?

If you are lucky to stumble upon a deal, either in the newspaper, on the internet or from your travel agent, the bottom line is: jump on it!

Ultimately in Canada, bargain flights are rare, Martens says.

"Over the last few months, WestJet and Air Canada have had a record number of paying passengers on their flights, compared with previous times — so they haven't had to have fantastic domestic prices, only good rates on a few routes," he said.

Chances are high that if you wait until later to book that $11 seat, it will be gone.

You can also stay on top of bargain deals by signing up to be notified via e-mail when they come available. Various websites, including from many airlines, let you sign up for this service.

The future of cheap fares

Looking ahead, Canadians may see an increase in the number of cheaper fares.

In March, Canada signed an open skies agreement with the United States intended to deregulate the airline industry and increase competition.

As well, the Dublin-based discount carrier Ryanair recently announced plans to offer $12 US flights between the United States and a European airport.

Canadians are crossing their fingers that the same thing will happen here.

"When that happens, expect the competition to be fierce," Martens said.

"The entrenched carriers like Air Canada won't want to give up their lucrative transatlantic routes."